Origin and History

This fusilier regiment was raised in July 1741 for Ferdinand of Brunswick who had been appointed chef of the regiment on June 29 1740. Its fusiliers came from regiment Sommerlatte, a unit in the Reich service who had served against the Turks in Hungary; and its grenadiers from the garrisons of Memel and Pillau.

The regiment had no recruiting canton in Prussia, its troops being recruited in the Duchy of Brunswick.

During the War of the Austrian Succession, the regiment was part of Frederick's army when he invaded Bohemia in 1744. In September, it was at the siege and capture of Prague where it then assumed garrison duty. At the end of the year, during its retreat towards Silesia, the regiment lost about half of its troops. In April 1745, it was sent to Upper Silesia. On May 22, it took part to the breakthrough from Jägerndorf to Neustadt.

The regimental numbering system (Stammliste) was first used by Leopold I, Fürst von Anhalt-Dessau (Der alte Dessauer) in the Dessauer Spezifikation from 1737. Around 1780 the numbers were used in the printed Stammlisten, still with some variations for the fusilier regiments. It became official by "Cabinets-Ordre" from October 1, 1806. The present infantry regiment was attributed number 39.

The regiment was disbanded in 1806 after the capitulation of Magdeburg.

Service during the War

In July 1756, the regiment was part of the reinforcements sent to East Prussia. By August, it had made a junction with the army of Field-Marshal von Lehwaldt, charged to observe the Russian army.

In April 1757, the regiment took part in the invasion of Bohemia. On May 6, it fought at the Battle of Prague where it was deployed in the second line of the infantry centre in Prince Franz von Braunschweig's Brigade. In October, the second battalion of the regiment took part in the defence of Schweidnitz which surrendered on November 14, the battalion becoming prisoners of war. On November 22, the first battalion of the regiment took part in the Battle of Breslau where it was deployed in Bornstaedt's Brigade, in the first line of the left wing. On December 5 at the Battle of Leuthen, the first battalion of the regiment was deployed in Bülow's Brigade in the second line of the infantry centre.

From May to July 1758, during the invasion of Moravia, the regiment took part in the unsuccessful Siege of Olmütz. On October 14, one battalion of the regiment fought in the Battle of Hochkirch where it formed part of Retzow's Corps near Weissenberg and covered the retreat. Its colonel, Prince Friedrich Franz von Braunschweig, was killed in action during this battle.

In 1761, the regiment initially served in Saxony before being dispatched to Pomerania to relieve Colberg. On December 12, it was at the Combat of Spie against the Russians. When the attempts of the Prussians to relieve Colberg were repulsed, the regiment marched by Schwedt and Berlin and took its winter-quarters in Saxony.

In 1762, from April, the regiment was stationed at Neisse.

N.B.: During the war the grenadiers from the wing grenadier companies were put together with the grenadiers of Infanterie Regiment 12, forming the Grenadier Batallion 12/39 (please refer to this article for the details of the service of the grenadiers during the war).

Prussian blue lined red with 6 pewter buttons on each side, with 2 pewter buttons on the right side at the waist and 3 pewter buttons on each side to fasten the skirts forming the turnbacks

Collar

dark lemon yellow

Shoulder Straps

dark lemon yellow fastened with a small pewter button

Lapels

none

Pockets

horizontal pockets edged in red, each with 3 pewter buttons

Cuffs

dark lemon yellow (in the Swedish pattern) with 2 pewter buttons

Turnbacks

red

Waistcoat

dark lemon yellow

Breeches

dark lemon yellow

Gaiters

black

Leather Equipment

Crossbelt

one white belt over the left shoulder for the cartridge box and one narrower white belt over the right shoulder for the haversack

Waistbelt

white

Cartridge Box

black

Bayonet Scabbard

brown

Scabbard

brown

Footgear

black shoes

Privates were armed with a short musket, a bayonet and a curved blade sabre.

NCOs

NCOs wore uniforms similar to those of the privates with the following distinctions:

no shoulder strap

cuffs edged with a silver lace braid

yellowish leather gloves

black and white sabre tassel

NCOs were armed with a sabre and a yellow half-pikes measuring 7 ½ Rhenish feet (2.37 m.) in the fusilier companies and 13 Rhenish feet (4.10 m.) in the grenadier companies (carried by the 3 most senior NCOs while other grenadier NCOs were armed with rifled muskets since 1744).

NCOs also carried canes (normally attached to a button at the top of the right front while carrying the half-pike).

Officers

Uniforms of officers were very similar to those of privates with the following exceptions:

black tricorne wearing a silver scalloped lace, black and white quartered pompoms and a black cockade fastened with a silver strap and a white button (officers always wore tricornes notwithstanding if they were commanding fusiliers or grenadiers)